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By Matt Storey, ASU Media Relations
For the fourth time this season, the ASU football team won despite trailing by double digits after the first quarter, this time coming back from down 10-0 to defeat UCLA 24-20 Saturday.
It was also the fifth time in their seven Pac-10 games that the Sun Devils have come back from a halftime deficit to get a victory.
"I guess we're a second-half team," wide receiver Chris McGaha said. "Guys came together and made some plays. It was interesting, but we came out on top, and that's all we can ask for."
The victory was ASU's first in the Rose Bowl since a 42-34 win over UCLA on Oct. 12, 1996.
"We always seem to find a way," head coach Dennis Erickson said. "I've been around a lot of teams in my days, and this team is just so resilient. UCLA played really well, and we were fortunate to win."
The running back tandem of junior Keegan Herring and sophomore Dimitri Nance continued to impress in the third game since starter Ryan Torain was lost for the season with a foot injury.
Herring rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries, including a 71-yard touchdown in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winning score, and Nance added 54 yards on 12 carries and a third-quarter touchdown of his own.
"We made some plays," Erickson said. "You don't win nine games without making plays."
Quarterback Rudy Carpenter battled a UCLA defense that sacked him five times and a thumb injury that caused him to miss a series in the fourth quarter to finish 16-31 for 200 yards and a touchdown.
"It's fun to come back where I'm from and play in the Rose Bowl," Carpenter said. "UCLA is a good team. They play well on defense and fight hard, so it's good to come in here and get a win."
His leading receiver was McGaha, who had a career-high nine catches and 123 yards. Seven of McGaha's receptions gave ASU first downs, and four of those converted third downs.
The Sun Devils continued their strong play on the defensive side of the ball as well. UCLA scored only one offensive touchdown, and that came on a one-yard drive after a 68-yard punt return by Bruins wide receiver Terrance Austin. The other UCLA touchdown was an 89-yard kickoff return by safety Matt Slater.
Bruins quarterback Osaar Rasshan, playing because both Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan missed the game with injuries, was 14-27 passing for 181 yards, and he ran for 41 yards on 13 carries.
However, with the Bruins trailing by four and less than five minutes remaining in the game, he was intercepted in the end zone by safety Josh Barrett.
"They have had a lot of injuries," Erickson said of UCLA. "That kid [Rasshan] came in and made some plays, but it's a hard thing to do. I felt if we just made some plays, we would have a very good chance."
After each team had a 3-and-out to start the game, UCLA got the scoring started with an 11-play, 51-yard drive that ended with a 28-yard field goal by Kai Forbath.
ASU then had its second consecutive 3-and-out, and Austin's long punt return gave the Bruins the ball at the 1. Two plays later, running back Craig Sheppard got in for a touchdown to give his team a 10-0 lead.
The Sun Devil offense got on track in the second quarter, as Carpenter found wide receiver Kyle Williams for a nine-yard touchdown to bring ASU within three.
UCLA would get another Forbath field goal later in the second, but ASU would answer with a score of its own just before the half, as Weber made a career-long 53-yard field goal to make the score 13-10 at the break.
That field goal was made possible by a roughing the passer penalty on UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis on an incomplete pass that would have brought up fourth down for ASU.
"You talk about a big play for us," Erickson said. "We were facing a fourth down and had to punt the ball. We ended up getting a field goal, and that totally changed the momentum going into halftime."
ASU would then take its first lead of the game when Nance ran for an 11-yard touchdown on the team's second drive of the third quarter.
On their next possession, the Sun Devils extended the lead to 24-13 with Herring's 71-yard scoring run, but Slater returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to bring the Bruins back within four.
The Sun Devils appeared ready to score again on their next drive, driving inside the UCLA 10 before Herring fumbled and the Bruins recovered.
In the fourth, when Carpenter's thumb injury kept him out for a series, backup quarterback Danny Sullivan was sacked and fumbled on his first drop back to pass, and UCLA recovered on the ASU 28.
However, two plays later, Barrett intercepted Rasshan's long pass into the end zone to give the Sun Devils the ball back.
Carpenter returned for that final drive, as ASU ran for a couple of first downs and took the clock down inside of a minute left before Weber's 52-yard punt gave UCLA the ball at its own 2. The Bruins attempted several laterals on the final play of the game, but the Sun Devils stopped them and sealed their ninth win of the season.
NOTES: ASU has now outscored its opponents 177-50 in the second half this season...Herring's 71-yard touchdown run was his third run of 70 yards or more this season...This was also Herring's third 100-yard rushing game of the season and sixth of his career...Weber's 53-yard field goal was the third-longest in ASU history (the school record is 55 yards by Luis Zendejas)...This win, combined with a 41-3 win at Stanford earlier this season, gives the Sun Devils two victories in the state of California for the first time since 1997, when they defeated Stanford 31-14 and Cal 28-21.